George Clooney to Continue Dazzling You With Politically Charged Movies, Good Looks

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Up to the Challenge:George Clooney wants you to know he’s a good-looking guy who cares about serious stuff like the trial of Osama bin Laden’s driver, which is why he bought the rights to Jonathan Mahler’s The Challenge. It’s the true account of how a Navy officer and a Georgetown law professor fought to give the guy a fair trial. No word on Clooney’s involvement, but there’s always the potential for a writing-directing-starring trifecta. Whatever, Clooney; learn to score and edit too, then we’ll be impressed. [Variety]

Dafoe and Gainsbourg Meet the Antichrist:Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg will star in Lars von Trier’s Antichrist, a psychological thriller/horror movie about a couple who goes to an isolated cabin in the woods after the death of their child. We hate to blame the victim, but going to an isolated cabin in the woods is like asking for your dead kid’s ghost to terrorize you. In fact, “relax with your dead kid’s ghost” is the rental agent’s slogan. [Variety]

Swank Wants No Fat Chicks:Hilary Swank and producing partner Molly Smith have acquired the rights to French Women Don’t Get Fat, Mireille Guiliano’s tome about how French women stay thin despite eating frogs or whatever. Chapter One: They don’t sit on their asses eating popcorn and candy while watching movies called French Women Don’t Get Fat. [Variety]

Universal Spinning Its Wheels: Universal and Red Eagle Entertainment have picked up Robert Jordan’s best-selling fantasy series The Wheel of Time and plan to immediately begin adapting the first book, The Eye of the World. Story follows Rand al’Thor, the latest incarnation of a dragon spirit who was born to fight an evil character named Shai’tan. Their rivalry peaks in the second book when Rand al’Thor goes out to a club and freestyles, “Hey, Shai’tan, tell me how my ass taste!” [Variety]

Cavenaugh, Jet-setter:Grey Gardens’ Matt Cavenaugh has been offered the role of Tony in Arthur Laurents’s new production of West Side Story. Did you know that Cavenaugh made his film debut as a little monster in, obviously, Little Monsters? While this isn’t exactly relevant, we’ll never squander an opportunity to remind the world of someone’s hidden shame. [Variety]